VERTIGO :- Chicken Maryland

One of, if not the greatest movie ever made Vertico is my favourite film of all time.  Full of suspense and a great storyline it is a great example of Hitchcock at his all time best, all though interestingly a comparative failure at the box office.  During the film the classic Chicken Maryland makes an appearence and in homage of the film here is an interpretation of the meal.

Ingredients  

6 boneless chicken breast halves, cut in half lengthwise

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs

6 tablespoons, plus 3 tablespoons butter, divided

Béchamel sauce:

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 (dash) teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 ripe, firm bananas, peeled and sliced

 

 

How to make it

 

In a large, shallow pan, place the chicken in the buttermilk and marinate it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large roasting pan. Drain and discard the buttermilk. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, then the eggs, and lastly, the breadcrumbs.

Place the chicken breasts in the roasting pan and bake for them 30-40 minutes, turning once.

Whilst the chicken is cooking make the béchamel sauce.  To do this in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until it forms a smooth paste. Continue whisking, cook for about 2 minutes, and then gradually – 1/3 cup at a time - add the milk. Continue whisking and cook until the sauce is completely heated through, smooth, and thickened. Remove from the heat and season with the salt and nutmeg.

To make the banana garnish, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Sauté the prepared banana slices in the butter until they turn golden brown.

Assemble the Chicken Maryland by arranging 2 pieces of chicken on a warm plate, drizzling it with a bit of Béchamel sauce, and then garnishing the plate with a few slices of sautéed banana.

See below for a clip of Vertigo

 

 

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS : - Liver, Fava Beans and a little Cianti

 

If you love film then you will find it impossible to ignore this one.  Liver, fava beans and a little Cianti.  However this one has a twist, it uses Lambs liver as opposed to the liver Dr Lecter apparantly used (I don't think I need to say what that was).  On the whole I think that it is probabaly a good substitution, unless you wish to be arrested.

Ingredients

1 Onion
2 Lambs Liver
1 750ml bottle of Cianti
Fava beans
Butter
Olive Oil


How to cook it

1. Slice a large onion into thick rings and saute in extra-virgin olive oil over moderately low    heat until deep golden.

2. Remove the onions and raise the heat to medium.

3. Season the liver with salt and pepper and saute in a mix of extra-virgin olive oil and  butter until done to your taste, personally I would suggest rare but some people may want it done a little longer.

4. Remove the liver and deglaze the pan with about 150ml of Cianti.

5  Blanch and shell the fava beans.

6. Fry them with butter until tender.

7. Season with a pinch of salt.

8. Serve pouring some of the glaze over the liver.


Thank you to  theslowcook.blogspot.co.uk which this receipe has been adapted from.


Now see below for the classic scene.

SE7EN : - Spaghetti with Sardines and Red Chilli

Have you ever seen Se7en.  If you have you will know all too well the scene representing glutony.  If you haven't then why not go and check it out.  Be warned however that if you do you will probally never see spaghetti in the same way again. 

Seven is one of my all time favourite movies and as a homage to it I have included a fantastic spaghetti dish from one of the most succesfull chefs of our or any generation Mr Gordon Ramsay.

 

Ingredients

 

Olive oil, for frying

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

75g rough stale breadcrumbs

200g dried spaghetti

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 x 120g tin good-quality boneless sardines,drained

½ tsp dried oregano

50g rocket leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to cook it

1.  Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add a glug of oil and, when hot, add half the chopped garlic along with the breadcrumbs. Cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasted and the garlic tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and toss together. Drain on kitchen paper.

2.  Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, according to packet instructions.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. Fry the remaining garlic and the chilli for 1–2 minutes.

3. Flake the sardines into small pieces, then toss in the pan with the garlic and chilli.

4. Drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan with the sardines. Toss to mix well. Add the oregano, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

5. When ready to serve, stir the rocket leaves into the pasta and divide between serving plates. Garnish with the crispy garlic breadcrumbs and serve immediately


See below for a taster of Seven

THE GODFATHER : - Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

You may well have gathered by now that I do like the odd gangster film, but then again who doesn't?  So I think it is about time that I blog the spaghetti sauce recipe from the ultimate gangster movie of all time, The Godfather. So why not sit down with your mates and try this recipe whilst watching the film, now that's an offer you can't refuse!


Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes (whole, crushed or chopped)

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

3 Italian sausages, grilled and sliced

1 lb meatball, cooked (use your favorite recipe)

red wine, just a splash

1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)

How to cook it

1.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot
2.  Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
3.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously so that a relatively smooth consistence is reached.
4.  Add sausages and meatballs and stir until the meat is coated.
5.  Add a splash of red wine, then the sugar according to taste.
6.  Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
7.  Serve by ladling over cooked pasta.


Why not watch Clemenza showing Michael how its done?

DONNIE BRASCO : - Coq au Vin

How about trying Lefty Ruggiero's , (seen here on the right as portrayed by Al Pacino) homemade Coq au Vin, delicious and if it is good enough for a made man like Lefty it is good enough for me.  Based upon a real life FBI undercover operation lead by the title lead Donnie Brasco real name Joe Pistone played by Jonny Depp this is one of my all time favourite films, but then I do like gangstar movies.  Something else I enjoy is good food and Coq au Vin is certainly that.  So why not try the recipe below from Dave Watts who is head chef at the Cotswold House Hotel.


Ingredients

10 x free range chicken legs
750ml red wine (you do not need a wine that is really expensive but just one that you like and would drink, my choice is a good Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
50ml rapeseed oil or olive oil
1 x onion
1 x medium sized carrot
2 x sticks celery
2 x sprigs of thyme
2 x bay leaves
2 x cloves of garlic
1 x Tbsp of Tomato puree
750ml brown chicken stock
100g seasoned plain flour
200g button or chestnut mushrooms (cut into quarters)
200g smoked bacon lardons
2 x pinch of salt
1 x bunch of curly parsley
Grind of fresh black pepper

How to cook it

1.  Place your frying pan on a medium heat and add the oil.

2.  Peel and dice the onion, carrot and celery to a similar size, place them into the pan and sweat until they're soft and have no colour. This will take around 10 minutes.

3.  Once soft, add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves, stir and then add the wine. Leave this mix to cool to room temperature and then add your raw chicken legs. Cover and place into a fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight if possible.

4.  Pre heat an oven to 140°C. After the chicken has marinated, remove from the wine and pat dry with a paper towel. Dip them into your seasoned flour and pat off any excess flour.

5.  Place a large frying pan on a high heat, put a little oil into the pan and add the floured chicken legs.

6.  Colour well on both sides then remove onto a draining tray, empty out any excess fat from the pan and repeat with more legs until all have been coloured. Once all of the chicken has been coloured, add the tomato paste to the empty pan, and stir for a minute (be careful not to burn the puree). While Al Pacino uses a can of tomatoes, it’s really not necessary and tomato paste gives a much more authentic flavour...

7.  After a minute add the wine, veg and herbs from the marinade to the pan and bring to the boil.

8.  Put the chicken legs into an oven proof dish adding the boiled wine and chicken stock, stir well. Cover with a tight fitting lid, place into the oven for 2 hours.

9.  After 2 hours fry your bacon lardons until they are golden brown, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate. Add your quartered mushrooms to the same pan and fry on a high heat until they are slightly coloured on the edges, remove from the pan again with a slotted spoon and keep aside with your lardons.

10. Remove the dish from the oven and place the mushrooms and lardons onto the surface, return to the oven and cook for a further 20-30 minutes.

11. Roughly chop the parsley, remove the dish from the oven and season to taste with a little salt and fresh black pepper, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with boiled potatoes, (but I personally prefer roast potatoes) and chunks of crusty bread.

Now watch Lefty show Donie how to cook the perfect Coq au Vin.

RAGING BULL : - The Perfect Steak

Raging Bull is another of those films which you would not normally associate with food.  But look again.  Steak, how do you like your's cooked, well according to Jake it has to be rare.  But what kind of steak do you like and what do you have with it.  There is a multitude of cuts and sauces but the ultimate has to be a sirloin or T-Rib.  Whilst fillet is the top cut it can be a little to lean and therefore lack taste.

The Ingredients

1 rib-eye steak, at least 4cm thick
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
25g butter
1 garlic clove, skin-on and crushed
1 sprig of thyme

How to cook it

1. Take the steaks out of the fridge 2 hours before you're planning to cook, and allow them to come to room temperature.

2. Heat a heavy-based griddle pan or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Pat the steak dry with kitchen towel and then use tongs to press the fatty edge on to the hot pan until nicely browned. Meanwhile spread a thin layer of salt and a sprinkle of coarse pepper on a plate. Put the steak on the plate, and turn to coat the steak lightly, then put it flat-side down into the pan. Cook for 90 seconds on each side, pressing down with a spatula, until both sides are well browned.

3. Add the butter, garlic and thyme to the pan and, when melted, use them to baste the steak, turning it every minute until it's done to your liking: a 4cm steak should take about 6 minutes for medium-rare, but always do it by eye.

4. Take out of the pan and leave somewhere warm to rest for 5–10 minutes, then serve.
Would steak be part of your final meal, or is it overrated? What are your must-have accompaniments (painfully hot crispy frites, steamed spinach and English mustard for me, please), and given our proudly beefy heritage, why are American steakhouses so much better than most British ones?

For more on everything steak why not take alook at the following link where the above info was taken: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/oct/25/how-to-cook-the-perfect-steak

And look below to see what happens when a steak is not cooked properly.